He said the UN was alarmed by the plight of more than three million people – half of them displaced from their homes – who live in Idlib province and surrounding areas. Some mountainous areas of northern Syria face sub-zero temperatures most winters and relief efforts have been stepped up once again. UN chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday urged all sides to halt the violence and allow for the necessary humanitarian effort to take place. Further escalating tensions in the region, the Turkish and Syrian armies on Monday had their deadliest spat since Ankara sent troops to Syria in 2016. On Monday, regime shelling of Turkish positions in Idlib left at least five Turkish soldiers and three civilians dead, Ankara said.

Source: The Express Tribune February 04, 2020 11:03 UTC